The present invention relates to food product slicers and, in particular, to a food product slicer having an interlock device which allows the food carriage tray and supporting arm to be removed only when the gauge plate is closed and prevents opening of the gauge plate when the carriage is removed.
Commercial food product slicers are widely utilized as rapid and effective means of slicing meat, cheese, vegetables and other food products. These machines commonly include a motor driven circular slicing blade having a peripheral cutting edge and a means for passing the food product to be cut over the blade. To adjust the thickness of the slice, these machines include a means for adjusting the distance between the slicing blade and the gauge plate, which distance determines the thickness of the food slice. Because of the nature of these machines, food and fat debris often build up on the gauge plate and carriage. Thus, both the product carriage and the gauge plate must be frequently cleaned.
To facilitate cleaning of the carriage and gauge plate of a conventional food product slicer, slicers have been designed such that the carriage can be removed from the machine or pivoted away from the cutting deck of the machine. Once the carriage is moved away from the body of the slicer, the edge of the cutting blade near the gauge plate is exposed. To prevent the user from coming into contact with the edge of the blade, food product slicers have been designed with an interlock device which allows the user to move the carriage only if the gauge plate has first been closed, i.e., adjusted to a position approximately coplanar with the slicing blade, thus providing coverage of the blade edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,319 to Maurer, et al. describes an interlock device for a meat slicing machine. The carriage of this meat slicer can only be pivoted away from the machine when the gauge plate is closed. When the carriage is pivoted from the machine, it articulates a slider member. When the gauge plate is open, a stop face of a slider member engages a counter stop member attached to the carriage thereby preventing the carriage from being pivoted.
Other food slicers require that the carriage be at either an extreme front or rear position, relative to the operator, to engage the slicer's interlock device. Thus, a need has developed for an interlock device which allows the operator to remove the food carriage tray and supporting arm without moving the carriage to an extreme end position.